The
Indian Forest Act



Forests are one of the consequential
natural assets available all over the country and the world. The forests cover
1/3rd area of the earth. The environmental laws are the conservator and
preventers of wildlife in the country. They are the reason behind controlling
the temperature, climate-changing, decreasing global warming, controlling the
air and water.  

  



In 1927, British rulers in India enacted
the Forest Act. Starting off the decade, Dietrich Brandis established the
Indian Forest Service in 1864, and it helped to enact the Indian Forest Act of
1865. Indian Forest Act of 1865 was the predecessor to the forest act of 1878.




The Indian Forest Act was
implemented in order to protect the forest and to preserve the forest products.
Taking care of wild animals and concerning about their lives was also the motive of this act.



Indian Forest Act divides forests
into three parts. Reserved Forests, Village Forests, Protected Forests.



Ø Reserved Forest is an area which is
duly notified under the provision of Indian Forest Act or the State forest Act.
This area has a full degree of protection, and all activities are prohibited
unless permitted. 



Ø When the government allocates any land
or reserved forest to use a village community that land is classified as
Village forest.



Ø The Protected Forest is which Indian
government protects land which is not listed in the reserved forest.
Non-government forest or private forest is also a part of Indian Forest Act
which is not controlled by the government.


The contents of the Indian Forest
Act divided into thirteen chapters. The preliminary phase is discussed in
Chapter I. Chapter II is classified for reserve forests. Village Forest's
details are discussed in chapter III. Chapter IV is briefed for Protected Forest.
Protection of forest for any circumstances, expropriation of forest in special
cases are looked at in chapter V. Duty of timber, and other
forest produce are discussed in chapter VI. In VIIth chapter, control of timber
and other forest produce are looked out. Collection of drift, send notice to
claimants of drift timber, government and the forest officers are not liable
for drift timber is considered in Chapter VIII. Penalties and the procedure of
the penalties and related guidelines are discussed in Chapter IX.
Cattle-Trespass is negotiated in chapter X. Forest officers related issues and
Subsidiary rules are discussed in chapter XI and XII. Recovery of penalties due
to under bond, the management process of joint property, recovery of money due
to government these types of matters are elaborated in chapter XIII.



There are 86 sections in the Indian
Forest Act. Reserve Forest is held in the act ranging 3 to 27. Village Forest
dealt with the 28th section ranging from the act. Provision of the protected
forests is dealt in under the 29th section of the act.

The principle of the act was to
consolidate to modify the types of forests while maintaining and protecting
their use and synchronising the forest produce. The classification of the forests
recognised how a wasteland becomes a protected forest.
The act is inclusive of the facilities that are compulsory considering the
prevention of the forests and their regulations. The act ensures forest
officers have the power to survey land, issuing search warrants by the state
government to protect forest property.  



The Indian Forest Act 1927 is an
updated comprehensive enacted with the intention of to formulate the laws of
the forest. In addition, the act aimed to regulate the forest and maintain the
forest environment. For good conservation of the forests, the government
decided to classify the forests. The above information about this act is true
and justified.



Reference